t you."

"No, no. There, I'll give you a glass of brandy when we get back."

"Suppose your guv'nor won't let you in, sir?"

"Nonsense, man. I have a latch-key."

"Wish I'd ha' knowed it," muttered the man, as he tried to close the
door; "blessed if I wouldn't ha' picked your pocket of it and risked it
I'd ha' carried you into the passage, and chanced it. Blister the door,
how it sticks!" he growled, as he banged it to, the jerk raising the
glass, and it dropped down. "Chrissal Square, sir?"

"No, no, Raybeck Square; and make haste out of the rain."

"Oh, I'm as wet as I can be, sir, and it don't matter now," grumbled the
man, as he ascended to the box, and once more the maddening rattle and
jangle began.

Chester's head was as blank as ever with regard to the past when the cab
drew up at his home, but it was perfectly clear as to the present, and
he was still hard at work trying to make out where he had been dining,
with whom, and how it was possible for him to have so far forgotten
himself as to have drunk till he was absolutely imbecile, when the man
opened the door.

"One moment; my latch-key. Yes; all right, I said I'd give you a glass
of brandy."

"You did, sir, and welkum it'll be as the flowers o' May. Jump out
quick, sir, and run up the steps, for it's all one big shower bath."

"Can you leave your horse?"

"Leave him, sir?" said the man, with a chuckle; "for a month. He's got
hoofs like hanchors. But I will hitch his nose-bag on, and let him see
if he can find that there oat he was a-'untin' for in the chaff last
time he had it on."

The next minute Chester was inside, with his head throbbing; but he was
not so giddy, and his first glance was at the hall clock, illumined by
the half turned down gas.

"Four o'clock," he muttered. "How strange!"

"May I come inside, sir? Horse'll be all right if there don't come a
bobby prowling round. If he ain't a fool he'll be under someone's
doorway, for there ain't likely to be no burgling a time like this."

"Shut the door, and come in here," said Chester, shortly; and he led the
way into his consulting-room, turned up the gas, and from a closet took
a decanter and glass, filled the latter for the cabman, who was making a
pool on the thick carpet, and then poured himself out a few drops from a
small-stoppered bottle, added some water from a table filter, and tossed
off the mixture.

"Thank you, sir, and hope that there'll do you as much good a